Thursday, 28 March 2013

Efforts by the Joint Military Taskforce in Kano to rid the state of
suspected terrorists yielded fruits Thursday morning when dangerous
weapons of war located at a hideout in Sharada bye pass, Kumbotso local
council of the state were uncovered.

Security sources in Kano disclosed that “the combat operation led to
the death of one of the chief armourer, while another was captured
live.”

The sources also revealed that assorted machine gun, assault rifles,
large quantity of Improvised Explosive Device were recovered from the
scene.

Information Nigeria also learnt of increased movement of troops in
the state capital as security agencies intensify the fight against Boko
Haram insurgents who have made the ancient northern city a hotbed of
terrorists’ activities.

Genesis Deluxe Cinemas Lekki, venue of the Premiere of the much
awaited Romantic thriller ‘Playing Safe’ will on Thursday 28th, March
2013, be abuzz with the presence of star actresses, Ini Edo and Tonto
Dike, including others celebrities from the entertainment industry who
will also strut the red carpet of the event.

Playing Safe is a romantic thriller from the stable of Diamond
Groove Pictures that features Ini Edo, Tonto Dike, Jibola Dabo, Ghanian
actress Matha Ankomah, Sexy Steel, Ik Ogbonna and Johanness Meyer. It’s a
story of young ladies who draw lessons past failed relationship
experiences to play safe in game of love. The combination of Tonto Dike,
who faces a litmus test with her Cinema debut My Life My Damage and Uyo
born actress Ini Edo, will provide audience with breathtaking
experience.

Synopsis: Young girls trying to live on past love experiences,
thereby out of fear, not ready to put their eggs in one basket and
choose to play safe, but the game becomes tough, and the quest to play
the right card becomes impossible even as the clock ticks and
desperation sets in.

The flick is directed and produced by multiple award winning actor
cum producer Elvis Chucks. Elvis is the Producer of Victims of the
society, True Citizen and A wish, a hilarious comedy still selling fast
on DVD. The movie shot in Lagos, Dubai, Ghana and London is due to be
released during Easter. Elvis Chucks has shown overtime that he knows
his onion when it comes to movie directing and production.

The
Lagos State Government has denied reports alleging that Governor
Babatunde Fashola ordered his police escorts to manhandle the driver and
children of the Executive Director of the Social and Economic Rights
Action Centre (SERAC) Felix Morka, during a traffic incident on Tuesday.

In a statement, the government spokesman, Hakeem Bello said “the premise and the content of the message are completely false.”

Explaining what transpired on that day, the statement said “On the
aforementioned date, at around 3pm, the Governor was returning from a
Security meeting at the headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS)
through CMD Road in the Magodo area when his convoy and other road
users got blocked by a man who had driven his Jeep with Registration
number KU 549 KJA against the flow of traffic. The identity of the owner
was later established to be Felix Morka.

“The gentleman in question had contravened a traffic law by vacating
his own lane and driving against oncoming traffic. This had resulted in
him blocking other road users, including the Governor’s convoy, from
progressing on their journey. After about two minutes, in which the
driver bluntly refused to reverse and move to his own side of the road
as politely requested by the Police escorts, the Governor instructed his
Aide-de-Camp to investigate what was going on.

“Mr. Felix Morka’s driver was immediately arrested by the Policemen.
He was charged to court on Wednesday 27th March as is the norm for such
traffic offences.

“At no point were the occupants of Mr. Felix Morka’s vehicle harassed
or molested. Mr. Morka’s claim that his driver’s arrest was connected
to his criticism of this administration is laughable. No one in the
convoy knew who he was at the point the vehicle he was in was driven
against the normal flow of traffic, the reasons for his driver’s arrest
were due to a clear contravention of a well-known law. Further,
photographic and video evidence are available which will be used in the
prosecution.”

Residents of Lambe area of Ogun state have received an audacious
letter from some fearless robbers urging them to give them a welcoming
hospitality when they attack their community in the coming days.

The daredevil men of the underworld who described themselves as
friends of the community said in the letter written in Yoruba language
and pasted conspicuously on many walls on Akin Akindele, Community Road
and Jelili Popoola Streets, that they are coming ‘very soon’ and are not
afraid of the police or other security agencies.

The letter
reads, “You residents of this area be prepared to receive your friends
very soon. If you like, inform the police or your security men or OPC,
you will just lose your lives. What is important is to cooperate with us
and to get ready to give us a warm welcome,” the robbers said in the
short letter.

“If you like, inform the police or your security men or OPC, you will just lose your lives,” they warned.

The letter ends with these words, “We your friends, robbers”.

Panic and confusion had since enveloped the community with a resident describing Lambe as ‘the playground of armed robbers.’

“Lambe has become the play ground of armed robbers. Incessant robbery
attacks have forced landlords to flee the area and are now tenants in
other places,” he said, pleading that his name should not be mentioned.

Landlords and tenants in the area are so confused that they do not
know what to do and are prepared for the worst. Due to fear of the
unknown, residents of the community are so scared to talk about the
issue.

A resident, who does not want his name disclosed, said he will not inform the police as there might be mass killings.

“Besides, the police and the OPC cannot be trusted because they may
be aware of their coming and will not do anything,” he said. A
female resident said her family will relocate from the community this
week. She said her family needs money to celebrate Easter, explaining
that the residents are worried because of the lack of security in the
country.

She revealed that none of the residents wants to talk about it because “the robbers might be living among us.” “ I have warned my husband to stay away from this matter because you do not know who is who in the area, “she said.

Another resident in the community said since they received the
letter, most residents do not sleep again at night and the landlords and
tenants are afraid to even inform the police or talk about it because
those behind the letters could be among them.

According to
information made available to DailyPost, one of suspects behind the
impudent letters was arrested in the night at about 1.00 am and handed
over to the police at Ajunwo Police Division.

However, efforts to reach the station’s DPO were futile as his phone rang endlessly unanswered.

While Youssou N’Dour tops the list as Africa’s richest artiste, he is
closely followed by Nigeria’s P-Square and D’banj who clinch the 2nd
and 3rd positions respectively according to Africa Answers. 2face cuts the list as he holds the 7th position while Banky W holds the 9th position.

According to the report;

Psquare makes more
than $150,000 per show. Their Squareville which is located at Ikeja is
worth $3 million and as part of their brand support, they also have a 3
years deal with Globalcom; a Nigerian telecommunication company as brand
ambassadors where they are paid a million dollars a year.
D banj made $1 million dollars when he was paid by a T.V station to
star on his own reality show called the Koko Mansion. He has a crib in
Atlanta worth of $1.5 million and reportedly charges on the upside of
$100000 per show currently.
Tuface has a vast investment in real estate across Nigeria, earns
around $50k to $80k per show and owns a night club in Nigeria just to
name a few.Banky W has been a brand ambassador for
Etisalat mobile in Nigeria and is currently the face for Samsung
products in the West African nation. Out of his generous heart, Banky W
has started off Mr Capable foundation; an education charity organization
with the aim to aid in the education of children from poor families.

If this list is correct, who do you see leaving the list soon? Tuface
who now has the added responsibilities of a married man? Banky W who
has lost his most valuable artiste? Who do you think will join? Wizzy?
MI? Ice Prince?

Sometimes fans find it hard to get their noses out of your private
business. They sometimes do not remember that artistes are humans too
and may be crossing the line with some remarks and comments they make.

Forbes Magazine has rolled out its annual “hip-hop’s wealthiest artists list.” This year’s top five should come as no surprise.
Rap’s reigning moguls return to the list in 2013. Once again, Diddy
has been crowned as the top money maker…but wait a minute, the guy
hardly sings anymore—he needs to be respected for his exploits that has
kept him as one of the top earners for years.
Well, obviously it’s not a matter of how often you release songs, Dr.
Dre hasn’t been really active too. The ‘beats’ and the ‘Ciroc’s sell
more than music, I guess.

National
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur,
has said that there are no strings attached in holding the party’s
National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, saying the National Working
Committee (NWC) of the party is working towards having an eventful NEC
meeting soon.

Speaking yesterday to journalists in Abuja against the backdrop that
non-holding of NEC was a major issue confronting the party’s leadership,
Tukur said the NEC meeting of the party would not be called for the
fun of it, as the party was gathering ‘enough issues’ to be discussed.

He said, “You don’t go to NEC just like that. I want to gather enough
issues now so that when we eventually call NEC, which will be soon, we
will have enough issues to articulate.”

On the alleged rift between him and governors under the party’s
platform, Tukur denied the leadership of the party and its state
governors were at loggerheads but added ‘no PDP governor is averse to
reconciliation.’

He said, “It is not true that PDP governors are working against our
reconciliation efforts. PDP is one big family and the governors are all
members of the same family so why will they not support our
reconciliation efforts. I can tell you that PDP governors are not averse
to reconciliation”.

Babatunde
Jezreel Okungbowa popularly known as OJB is no stranger to the Nigerian
music industry. Matter of fact, he can be described as one of the
pioneers of the industry as a veteran music producer and singer.

In an interview culled from Nigerian Tribune in which he talks about
his sojourn in music and how he has remained relevant for almost two
decades, OJB shared his thoughts on Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh’s
entry into the music scene.

He said: “The problem is that she wasn’t listening to the key thing.
People did not download the song out of love but out of surprise. If she
really wants to go into music professionally, she needs to take out her
time and learn how to sing.”

However, OJB notes that she did not learn as her subsequent efforts
do not show any remarkable improvement. “It’s a lot easier to cross into
acting from singing but a lot harder to cross into singing from acting.
If after her first single, she got better people to coach and produce
her songs, she might not have complained so much but there was no
improvement.”

And he concluded by saying of the actress, “As far as I’m concerned,
Tonto Dike’s delving into the music industry is a bad idea right now.
Her wanting to sing is not bad but her thinking that on the platform of
the fact that she is a movie star, so she can sing, is a very bad idea.”

Neato C and wife Nicole had their first baby delivered on March 26
in the United States with the proud father showing off his bundle of joy
on Instagram and memafor.blogspot.com

Naeto C and his son

He wrote’
”Thanks to Everyone for all the messages…words aren’t honestly enough
to express this moment…it’s ironic especially for someone like myself
who is used 2 putting words Together…maybe later…but right now i’m just
Thanking God with my Family and enjoying my son’s company!
I wish you all similar moments at some point(s) in your lives!“ Thank
you so much for the love and support. May your lives be filled with
endless joy.”
Naeto C and his beauty entrepreneur wife Nicole got married in July
2012. His singles Kini big deal, Number 10 and 5&6 made huge waves
when released. It is reported that he is to commence his Canadian tour
soon.

A man dressed as a
woman was arrested at an airport in southern Brazil last week for
allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine in a fake butt, Worldcrunch reports,
translating local media coverage.

According
to a HuffPost translation of Globo, the man was attempting to fly from
Campinas, Brazil to Lisbon, Portugal, and then on to Brussels. Once he
landed in Belgium, he was to receive the equivalent of about $5,000 for
delivery.

But while he was waiting for his flight to Europe,
authorities approached him and found two bags of cocaine hidden in his
underwear, forming a prosthetic derrière, Folha de S.Paulo reports.

“They
gave him a mobile phone so he could contact the person who would
receive the narcotics once he got to his destination,” officer Gilberto
Salles Souza Junior told Globo, according to a HuffPost translation.

Smuggling
operations similar to this have backfired in the past. In December
2011, a model, who had just arrived in Rome from Brazil, was arrested
after authorities found 5.5 pounds of cocaine hidden in fake breast and
buttock implants, The Daily Mail reported at the time.About
a year later, a 20-year-old woman was taken to a hospital after she
told authorities at a Barcelona airport that her chest was bleeding
because she’d recently undergone plastic surgery and the wounds hadn’t
healed, according to the BBC. Several bags of cocaine — valued at about
$78,000 — were removed from the woman.

Stand-up
comedian, Bright Okpocha also known as Basketmouth, in February,
acquired a 2013 Opel Insignia car – reported to be the first on the
continent.

In an interview, Basketmouth narrates how he came to be the proud owner of the customized automobile.

“They took me to the office, they brought out the computer and they
asked what colour I wanted. I was like, are you guys serious, anything I
want you will put in this car? That was how it started, I told them
everything I wanted, so they loaded the car as much as they could to my
own satisfaction. I didn’t go out of my way to buy a car neither did I
fly all the way to Belgium to buy a car, it was just a coincidence that I
just bumped into the car.”

Basketmouth also explains his initial fears when he learnt he was the
first person to order the car from Africa. “It was also coincidental
that I was the only person that ordered it from this region”, he said.

“When they told me, I was scared and asked what’s up with the
servicing of the car? They told me that with the kind of engine that I
have ordered, I cannot service it for the next three years and I said
okay then give it to me because by three years’ time, definitely I go
don change motor. It was just a coincidence and please don’t ask me how
much the car costs.”

Basketmouth went on to narrate how a visit to Belgium brought him in contact with his latest acquisition.

“I went to visit my friend, Bayo Adegeye, who was my first manager
ever. I went to see him and his family in Belgium. His wife is white and
the mother is the General Manager of Insignia and all Opel products.
When we went to say hi to her, she wasn’t in the office so I went to the
shop and I saw this car laying there and I was like, which car is this,
and they told me and I said I like it and asked how much it cost. They
told me they don’t sell it that way, that you’d have to order it and I
said Okay, I want to order it” he added.

Tragic schoolgirl Jade Lomas-Anderson was mauled to death by five
crazed dogs yesterday — after she walked into a room eating a meat pie.One
of the animals leapt at the snack and as 14-year-old Jade tried to
fight it off it grabbed her by the throat and dragged her to the floor.The four others then joined in, savaging the helpless teenager.Jade was alone at the address at the time but it was still unknown exactly what had triggered the attack.Superintendent
Mark Kenny of Greater Manchester Police said: “This remains a deeply
distressing incident for everyone involved and the wider community and
our thoughts continue to be with Jade’s family.“They are understandably devastated by what has happened, as are Jade’s circle of friends.”

Yesterday
police who raced to the house were forced to shoot dead four of the
dogs, said to be Staffordshire bull terriers and bull mastiffs, because
they were so aggressive.The fifth animal — believed to be a pitbull type — was safely subdued inside the house.Two pools of blood could be seen in the back yard of the home where Jade was attacked after the dogs were destroyed.

In a statement signed by CEO Audu Maikori,
Chocolate City says Jagz does not owe them a dime, does not do
marijuana, and never at any time was rude to the label or its
executives.

‘First, the comment that, ‘Choc City
said Jargo owed them money, there were several cases where he would
travel to the North for a gig and wouldn’t bring back anything to the
label’, are claims that are totally unfounded. Chocolate City states
that Jesse Jagz has not and does not owe them any monies from any shows
performances till date.’

Continuing, the label also said ‘the
comment that, ‘Jesse Jagz, a truly talented rapper and producer, is
addicted to Marijuana, is untrue. Chocolate City states categorically
that Jesse Jagz does not have a history of Marijuana abuse neither did
it or any of its staff make any allegations to that effect.’

It’s the first time the label is
speaking out, since Jagz publicly announced he’s leaving the label last
week. Several email and phone enquiries by our editors to the label
executives went unanswered, with multiple sources saying there were
strict instructions not to speak with the media.

The label says: ‘It is untrue that
Jesse Jagz has refused to appear at the Chocolate City Office when
invited. At all material times Jesse and his team have always responded
and communicated with Chocolate City in respect to all matters and
continue to do so.

‘Furthermore, Chocolate City CEO
Audu Maikori never sent a summons to Jesse Jagz nor did he receive any
derogatory email from Jesse Jagz refusing to attend any meetings. What
is even more ludicrous is that Audu Maikori has been in the USA on
official business and as such couldn’t have summoned Jesse for a meeting
when he was abroad. Jesse and Audu have and have always had a cordial
and respectful relationship, a relationship that still exists till
date.’

‘At no time has Jesse Jagz career
been dormant. Stating that Jesse Jagz career has been dormant is a gross
understatement as he has since the release of Jagz of All Trades,
focused on the production aspect of his career working with Brymoand Ice Prince on their respective albums as well as featuring on several songs with various artists’, the statement says, adding that the departed rapper’s sophomore album Jagznation VOl1 will be released this year as scheduled.

‘Finally, we understand the concerns
of fans and well wishers in respect the alleged Jesse Jagz ’war’ with
Chocolate City. Our position is that there is no war within our camp.
Like any relationship, there are ups and downs especially in our type of
business however rest assured that these issues will be resolved and
communicated subsequently.’

The SEAL team member in the Esquire profile, who was described simply
as the Shooter, claimed that he entered the compound and found bin
Laden with a gun in reach and shot him.

“In that second, I shot him, two times in the forehead. Bap! Bap! The
second time as he’s going down. He crumpled onto the floor in front of
his bed. He was dead. I watched him take his last breaths,” the Shooter
told Esquire.

That account conflicts with the first-person narrative from the
bestselling book “No Easy Day,” written by Matt Bissonette under the
alias Mark Owen.

According to a third account from the anonymous Navy SEAL Team 6
member who talked to CNN, the Point Man rushed up the stairs and shot
bin Laden in the head, gravely wounding him.

CNN adds, “Having taken down bin Laden, the point man proceeded to
rush two women he found in bin Laden’s bedroom, gathering them in his
arms to absorb the explosion in case they were wearing suicide vests,
something that was a real concern of those who planned the raid.”

Two more SEALs then found bin Laden wounded on the floor, and shot
him in the chest. CNN’s source said there was no way the Shooter could
have seen a gun in reach of bin Laden — since a gun was only discovered
in the the suspected terrorist leader’s room after a thorough search.

This account appears to square with the one in “No Easy Day,” which
asserts the Point Man took the first shots. Bissonette writes in his
book that he was one of the members to shoot bin Laden as he lay on the
floor.

Bronstein, when contacted by CNN, said he had passed along the questions around the raid to his source but had not heard back.

But according to CNN’s Peter Bergen, there’s no “I” in this SEAL
team: He writes that in the briefing to President Obama post-raid, the
members explained, “If you took one person out of the puzzle, we
wouldn’t have the competence to do the job we did; everybody’s vital.
It’s not about the guy who pulled the trigger to kill bin Laden, it’s
about what we all did together.”

Got
this email from Funmi Macaulay, a US-born Nigerian presently living in
Brooklyn, NYC, and the founder of Nigerians Unite Against Boko Haram
(NUABH). She wrote an article about the plight of Ihuoma and Victoria,
two young Nigerians living and studying in Canada who are on the verge
of being deported back to Nigeria. The two girls have been holed up in a
church basement the last nine months and . See Funmi's article below...

I am surprised that I have not read in any media, local or
international, about efforts by the Nigerian government to help two
Nigerian students who have been on deportation list in Canada for a
'crime' that makes mockery of the very ideals that western societies
proud themselves on - hard work. Victoria Ordu and Ihuoma Amadi, 20 and
21 respectively, having been holed up in the basement of a church in
Canada - not for document forgery. No, not for 419, internet scam or
fake marriage, but for attempting to work and earn decent stipends to
augment what they get from home.

The news media in Canada has
been awash with the reports since June 2012 when the two University of
Regina students took refuge in a church hoping that the Canadian
authorities will forgive them for working in Walmart for two weeks. The
issue here is that the student visa they carry permits them to work on
campus but not outside. The students have in their various interviews
stated that they stopped the Walmart jobs immediately they became aware
of the restriction. But the Canada authorities have simply refused to
budge.

Maybe the situation has lingered the way it is because of
the green color of the passport they carry. I doubt that the Canadian
authorities would have held their grounds the way they've done for
almost a year now if these two students were Americans, Indians, Chinese
or even South Africans. As one born of Nigerian parents in the US, I
have the privilege of knowing how it feels traveling with the Nigerian
passport and that of the US.

It is instructive that while Walmart
that employed the students have gone without any rebuke from the
government, these two young ladies have remained imprisoned in a church
basement for more than nine months now without knowing what day light
looks like. While immigration authorities accepted that Walmart had
made an honest mistake in their hiring practices, the same leniency
wasn’t granted to the students.

“Walmart was given the benefit of
the doubt, while the students weren’t,” said Michelle Stewart, an
associate professor in the University of Regina, who's been campaigning
for the release of the two Nigerians. “The most common response to this
type of infraction is a fine of $320,” said Stewart. "This is Canada,
but it feels like hell for us," Ihuoma said in an interview with CBS
Canada. "We feel forgotten here, nothing is happening at all."

Friends
and well-wishers of these two students have in the last nine months
mounted pressure on the Canadian government, but not much has been
achieved. I have been involved in the social media campaign to drum
support for these innocent young Nigerians, but much as the protests on
and off line continues to grow, the Canadian authorities have remained
hard-heartened.Canada holds strong trade relations with Nigeria and
is hoping to grow its economic presence in the country as a springboard
to reach the rest of Africa. Being Canada's largest trading partner in
sub-Saharan Africa should serve as an incentive in extracting the right
government action on diplomatic matters like this. This is the time for
Nigeria to flex some diplomatic and economic muscles.

I remember
when the reclusive North Korean government arrested two US journalists
and sentenced them to 12 years imprisonment with hard labour for
illegally entering the country. President Obama sent former president
Clinton to the country and in 24 hours those two lady journalists were
released to join their families. Nigeria, by virtue of its economic and
strategic might, can achieve similar result when efforts are made from
the top. Don't think I'm naive.

I expect President Jonathan's
government to act now. Please save Victoria and Ihuoma from what their
lawyer has described as 'honest mistake'.

A
Former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr. Abubakar Tsav, has
criticised the former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, for
taking up asylum in the United Kingdom because of current insecurity in
Nigeria.

Tsav, on Wednesday in Makurdi said that Ringim’s claims that he had
gone to the UK to escape acts of terrorism by the Islamic sect, Boko
Haram in the northern parts of the country was faulty.

He said the former police boss was merely hiding under the cover of insecurity to stay abroad.

The former commissioner argued that other former police chiefs,
including M.D. Yusuf, Ibrahim Coomassie and Gambo Jimeta were all
residing safely in Nigeria and accused the former police boss of staying
abroad “to hide from his numerous misdeeds while in office.”

“With every sense of humility, I want to sound it loud and clear that
the former IGP Mr. Ringim might be running away for some unforeseen
circumstances which he knows best.

“Let no one be deceived that it is the activities of these Islamic
menace that has made him to run but rather, a subtle manner of escaping
unpleasant consequence which is best known to him.”

Tsav urged the former police boss to return to Nigeria to join hands
with other security experts to combat insecurity in the country.